Said Aouita on the way to 5000m Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 1984 (© Getty Images)
Former Olympic and World Champion Said Aouita, the "Moroccan Express", is organising an international athletics meeting which will take place in Casablanca, Morocco on July 13.
The meeting, which will take place at the same time as the Moroccan celebration of Youth, plans to establish itself as a major attraction for top class international athletes and hopes to join the select ranks of the IAAF Grand Prix circuit. At least 150 Moroccan athletes are also expected to participate.
Lamine Diack, Senior Vice President of the IAAF and President of the CAAF (African Amateur Athletic Confederation) has expressed his support for Aouita’s initiative in organising such a meeting in North Africa: "this meeting is needed by both African and international athletics…… Aouita is offering African athletes a setting and reception that can only match their exploits".
The former athlete’s organisation "Aouita Sport Club Casablanca" will also be preparing two other major athletics events after this meeting: the Casablanca International Half Marathon in November later this year, and the Casablanca International Marathon in March 2000.